


The Sans Conundrum

by Subtle_Shenanigans



Category: Undertale
Genre: Gen, Sans-centric?, The Sans Conundrum series, Undyne POV, Undyne theorizes on Sans, Undyne-centric?, cross-posted on FF dot net, hes so weird, platonic all around, short pieces, sorta AU, spacial issues, whats with his jacket?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-04
Updated: 2018-04-04
Packaged: 2019-04-16 16:11:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14168634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Subtle_Shenanigans/pseuds/Subtle_Shenanigans
Summary: Various one-shots (primarilySpaceandComfort.)





	1. Space

**Author's Note:**

> I'll add the FF A/N below this.
> 
> But, uh, I'm trying to cross-post some stuff even though I'm technically on hiatus. For some reason, a good groups of people liked this on FF, so I thought it may be well-received here.
> 
> I'm not really that good at writing Undyne but I do find her to be a good challenge.
> 
> \---------/////----------
> 
> Original A/N: So I saw someone shared a headcannon with me and I just had to write this. I had been planning it for awhile now.
> 
> I've always loved how the fandom interprets the Skelebros as really close; Paps carrying Sans around, their joking and teasing with one another. All the fluffy familial feels and hugs :3.
> 
> But I've also always loved the idea that Sans doesn't like being close with anyone but his bro. This then developed into the idea that maybe Sans doesn't like physical contact from other people - of course post-True Pacifist he gets used to, and lets, Toriel, Undyne, Frisk and maybe Asgore and Alphys hug him and such but before then and in general he's uncomfortable with it. Obviously he gives handshakes (it is a social norm. One that I don't always follow*cough*) and Dogamy mentions something about expecting a pat on the head from Sans, so he's probably okay with smaller things like that as long as he is the one initiates it.
> 
> Also I really like the idea of Undyne and Sans reaching some level of friendship.
> 
> DISCLAIMER: All hail the Annoying Dog.

 

_Space_

* * *

 

She probably wouldn't have noticed, in all honesty, if it had been a subtle reaction. But she knew Sans - even just a little bit, even as Papyrus' lazy, laid-back brother - and he wasn't one to let his emotions manifest as a physical reaction.

So, when she pat him on the shoulder after her and Papyrus' training session (Sans had come along for moral support, though Paps kept trying to cajole him into sparring) Undyne was surprised at the noticeable flinch, his bony shoulder tensing beneath her touch, and the fleeting moment where his eye sockets had widened. He quickly composed himself (though he was still somewhat tense beneath her hand) blinking at her innocently. " 'Sup Undies?"

She decisively ignored the nickname ("Really Sans?" "What?" "I like it Undyne!") regaining her thought. She gave a shark-toothed grin. "Was just gonna say Punk, maybe you should join us next time! Paps told me you taught him his magic."

He shrugged. His smile could almost be considered uncomfortable, though due to what Undyne didn't  _exactly_  know. "Yeah but nah. Don't want to ruin my image." He gave a wink and chuckled.

So suddenly, Undyne wasn't sure how it happened, he was out from under her hand and slouching casually, a step or two away. "Welp I'm gonna go get some supplies. You guys were wanting to do Lasagna tonight, right? I'll go get the stuff." And with that he was cantering away at his usual slow, steady pace.

She was frozen for a moment, then cupping her hands over her mouth she yelled, " _You don't even know what we need!_ "

He responded without turning, his voice easily heard but not actually yelling. " _Text me the list_."

Undyne watched as he receded, curiously.

"Sans doesn't like being touched."

Undyne whipped around, eye wide. Papyrus stood next to her, eyes glued to where Sans went. How had he even snuck up on her like that?

His voice had been almost … meek. Quiet not necessarily in volume but in tone. His gaze shifted to her face, as he repeated. "He doesn't like to be touched."

Undyne blinked at him, taking a minute to get what he meant. Then it clicked that her friendly little  _shoulder-pat_  had made Sans  _uncomfortable_.

She hid a snort behind her hand.

Papyrus' gaze sharpened but then immediately softened, though he still crossed his arms. "It's not funny."

She quickly composed herself, still smiling in amusement. "No you're right Pap; I just wasn't expecting  _Sans_  to be all anti-touch. He's, like, the friendliest guy around! It's a little odd, y'know."

He did quirk a smile at that. "Yes. My brother is very friendly. But he's never really been okay with people touching him - other than me of course!" His permanent grin held what Undyne had come to recognize as a frown. "I wonder why … ?"

Undyne didn't understand why Sans did half the things he did, so she quickly amended with, "That's probly because you give the best hugs, Paps - and no one else can compare."

That sunny smile blossomed back awfully bright. "Of course! Nyeh heh! Why didn't I think of that! The Great Papyrus gives the best of hugs!"

As usual, the conversation had been derailed from Papyrus' worry, to flaunting his greatness, and continued on that train of thought as they got the kitchen ready to cook.

Though Undyne did make a mental note to learn more about Sans in the future.

He was her best friend's brother after all.


	2. Comfort

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Original A/N: Someone mentioned a sequel to Space and although I had been playing around with the idea, I couldn't resist then.
> 
> So here's another one, this time on the subject of Sans' jacket.
> 
> All of these will be from Undyne's POV and we won't get inside Sans' head at all. Part of it being even I'm not sure if Sans is insecure or has other issues. I want to leave it open. Plus Undyne is a challenge to write for.
> 
> And keep in mind this is from Undyne's POV; I myself am very introverted and anti-social. But it is bad to be too anti-social. Alphys you need to hang with peeps more even if you don't want to.
> 
> DISCLAIMER: Nahhhhhhhh. Too awesome for me to own. Nor do I own any movies I mention.

 

* * *

_Comfort_

* * *

Ever since the shoulder-touching debacle last week, Undyne had been determined to both figure out Sans  _and_ try not to make him uncomfortable.

Which was an exceedingly hard feat.

It meant more hanging out with Sans (which wasn't a problem; she'd been meaning to get the nerd to chill with her and Papyrus for awhile now, and eventually Alphys. She's still have her special days with  _just_ Paps, but she honestly never really had a group of close friends before and now … well, she wanted one.)

But hanging out meant being with him in person, and Undyne had always been more physical with others. Noogies, Fist bumps, High fives, Shoulder pats, half-hugs, full-hugs . . .

They were all off the table, at least in respect to Sans.

Because she  _didn't_ want to make the shorter skeleton uncomfortable. Plus, Papyrus was surely keeping an eye socket on her to make sure she didn't upset his brother after last week.

 _Man_ , she never fathomed that Sans could be so  _touchy_.

. . . Dangit. Sans was rubbing off on her, wasn't he? Stupid puns.

So she opted to observing other things about him. Maybe then she would be able to piece together what sort of monster he was; be able to understand him better. She didn't want to know all his secrets -  _and dang did he have a lot, the infuriating little_ -

She just wanted him to be comfortable around his friends. And not just her, but Alphys too, when she was pulled out of her severely anti-social state. Sans himself was  _too_  closed off; it couldn't be good for him to deal with that.

Undyne clamped down the urge to noogie some sense into him, fists clenched and grin tight. She couldn't be too . . .  _enthusiastic_ about this. She'd have to start with just inviting him over more.

. . . This was going to be hard.

* * *

If there was one thing Undyne definitely picked up on over the course of the month, is that Sans sure loved his jacket.

It didn't matter where they went or what they did; whether hanging in Snowdin, playing in the rivers and waters of Waterfall, or even,  _Ugh_ , meeting up in Hotland to visit Alphys or go to the MTT Resort, Sans was  _always_ wearing his blue jacket.

He did change out of his other clothes; she could see that his shirts were all varying shades of white and she even saw him once wearing one that could be considered pale gray, and another time one that was cream. He definitely owned a few different pairs of shorts, some slightly different materials and some with two stripes or no stripes on each leg. He altered between his pink slippers and a pair of black and white tennis shoes.

But his jacket never changed.

She squinted her eye fiercely at it one evening, trying to figure out why he was so attached to it. It wasn't that impressive: it was a dull, faded color, little holes from aged threads coming undone, the soft inner lining of the hood balling up and losing its softness from multiple washes. It was a zippered jacket with a hood, and two diagonally open pockets where Sans tended to keep his mittened hands.

(. . . _What the hell was with the mittens, anyways?)_

Sans, perceptive as always, merely shifted slightly, eyelights flicking to her. "Got a problem, Undies? You look like you've got a  _bone_ to pick with me." His grin became that insufferable one that he flashed after making a pun.

Undyne felt a vein throb at the annoying nickname, but she ignored it. She bluntly asked, "What's with your jacket?"

She . . . really needed to work on her tact.

He blinked once, slowly, more in a show of honest confusion than need to blink. "My jacket?"

She gestured to his jacket on him, struggling to find words. If Paps was here, he'd surely answer  _for_ Sans, but he had run out to get more tomatoes for their spaghetti sauce.

"You never take that thing off! I've seen you wearing it in  _Hotland_ , for Asgore's Sake! I mean don't get me wrong; Papyrus never takes off his battle body, but he's  _Papyrus_! It's just weird is all."

Undyne thought she saw a twinge of  _something_  and regretted her wording. Strange would have been better than weird, she swiftly concluded, because strange alluded more to mysterious whereas weird … didn't.

Whatever that twinge had meant was quickly locked away, as Sans merely shrugged languidly. "Eh, just like it, 'S'all."

Undyne raised a dubious eyeridge at that, and she thought Sans' expression bordered  _nervous_ , but before she could ask anything further, Papyrus burst through the door screaming at the top of his (metaphorical) lungs, " _SPAGHETTI TIME!_ "

* * *

It was Wednesday, meaning, of course, that it was movie night.

After a hearty …  _meal_ , of, uh, 'spaghetti', the trio of friends found themselves on the shabby black couch Undyne had found in the dumps some months ago, watching some old VHS called ' _Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory._ '

Somehow, Undyne got squished between the two Skeleton brothers (usually Papyrus would take the middle, cuddling up to either Sans or Undyne). It wasn't that bad, for her, but it was a tight fit - everyone's legs and sides pressed against one another. It was comfortable, by Undyne's standards.

Not so much by Sans' it would seem. It wasn't hard to notice how he tensed up at the contact; kept himself stiff in a way that Undyne figures wasn't very comfortable. But he didn't seem  _uncomfortable_  with how he sat, more that he was uncomfortable with the physical contact.

 _Geez_ , what was with that?

… Although, her mind suddenly added up why Sans was so good at dodging, as Papyrus said.

She gave a minimal shrug, letting her mind drift back to Papyrus' chattering and the movie playing.

Although enthralled by the strange, colorful adventures on-screen - and Papyrus' just as colorful interjections and thoughts - she couldn't help but notice that Sans eventually eased up, even if it was just a little bit. His words a little less stiff.

Even as he eased up, he also seemed to loosen a little, and only  _then_  did Undyne realize how tightly he had curled in on himself; how much he had burrowed and clung to the jacket he  _always_ wore.

And she couldn't help but grin to herself, yellow eye wide and glowing with happiness.

Because it was so good to be with her friends, laughing and joking and enjoying one another's company.

And maybe, just maybe there'd be more of this -  _this_  in the future, with four rather than three.

And she took comfort in that as much as Sans did in his jacket.


End file.
